ringler



W. A. RINGLER.

SAFETY INDEX SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. I8. 1917.

1 ,3 1 '7, 392 Patented Sept. 30, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l. -llql. lz 77 0p 9 f 2'/ 4 2.4'

W. A. RINGLER.

SAFETY INDEX SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED ocT. I8. 1911.

l 3 1 '7, 3 92 Pazented Sept. 30, 1919.

I j 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2. if 43 TI 45 g @MW WILLIAM A. RINGLER, 0F NEW YORK, N. Y.

SAFETY INDEX SYSTEM.

asiaaea Specification of Letters Patent.

ratenteasept. 3e, 1era.

Application filed October 18, 1917. Serial No. 197,195.

To all 'whom 'it may concern:

yBe it known that I, WILLIAM A. RINGLER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety Index Systems, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to loose leaf systems and particularly to improvements in such systems whereby the incorrect filing of an element ofthe system is to a` great extent eliminated. My invention is applicable to most loose leaf systems in which the elements comprising the same are divided into groups by appropriately indexed elements. order to illustrate my invention, l have selected the system substantially as shown in United States Patent No. 1,017,089, as vone of the existing forms to which my invention ma be adapted.

eretofore, no suitable means for instantly disclosing to the operator the incorrect filing of an element of a loose leaf system, has been available. Some of these systems sometimes have to provide for as many as twenty-five thousand active accounts and `if one of the accounts. is inadvertently misfiled it isalmost impossible to locate the missing element. In order to obviate the misfling of such elements and to render such misfiling, when it has occurred, readily apparent, is the principal object of my invention. Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The drawings accompanying this specification and forming part thereof, exemplify one form and embodiment of my invention, Figure 1 showing a front elevation of a plurality of cards forming one `major index with the appropriate minor indices; Fi 2 showing a portion of the cards shown in 1g. 1 with a front elevation of one of the minor indices and tabs of the minor indices which normally follow; Fig. 3 showing a fragmentary front elevation of one of the ledger cards; Fig. 4 showing a set of cards simi ar to that shown in Fig. 2 positioned in a cabinet of which a vertical section is shown and. Fig. 5l showing a view similar to that shown in Fig. 4 with the first minor index card reversed. j 0

Referring to the drawings and particularly to Fig. 1 a major index card 10 (and it will be understood that a plurality of such cards is employed) has a table 11 for quickly indicating the relative position of is assigned is entered.

the card, as is well known in connection with these systems. The card 10 is provided with a major index tab 12, safety opening 13 and guidegroove 14, the purposes of which will be explainedhereinafter. Illhe card 10 is further provided with a beveled edge 15 and minor check opening 16. ITabs of the minor indices which. normally accompany each major index, are indicated at 17, 187 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24 and 25.

A minor index card 30 (shown in Figs. 2, 4 and 5), is provided with scale 31, minor index tab 19, and safety opening 33. rEhe minor index tab 19 is set o' kfrom the major index tab and its accompanying minor index tabs as shown in Fig. 1 and is provided with appropriate letters to indicate the given names of accounts; it is also provided with a number corresponding to the number of divisions into which the major index is divided, as iswell understood in the art. The safety opening 33 registers with the safety opening 13 of the card l0. The card 30 is further provided with a guide groove 34which registers with the guide groove 14 of the card 10 and beveled edge 35 which registers'with the beveled edge 15 of the card 10. rllhe card 30 is provided with a check opening 36.

A ledger card 40 has a scale 41 similar to the scale shown on the minor index card in Fig. 2, and safety opening 43 which registers with the opening 13 of card 10 and opening 33 of card 30, and beveled edge 45 which registers with the edges 15 `and 35 of the cards 10 and 30. 'llhe card 40 is provided with a check opening 46 which registers with the minor check opening of card 30. A suitable drawer or cabinet 47 has a triangular uide member 48 longitudinally located on t e bottom of the drawer.

Major index cards 10 of which there are a suiiicient number to comprise the principal divisions of the alphabet '(in the example shown forty) are located in drawers 47 with notches 14 engaging the guide member 48V. 'llhe minor index cards 17 to 25 inclusive are arranged behind the major index card 10 with the ledger account cards, asu 40, filed between the 'appropriate rninor index cards, Card 40 is a ledger account card on which the items forming dividual er corporation to whom the card rlhus card 40, which is assigned to D.

for of illustration,

urpose the account of the in-l bbot is filed in the major index Aa, y

since the surname begins with the letter A and between minor index cards 19 and 20 since the initial is D and has its guide notch which, although not shown, is similar to check notch 14, of card 10 in engagement with guide member 48.

It isto be understood that as many ledger account cards are employed as there are accounts and they are led in their proper position in accordance with the letter of the surname and initial as above described. Each ledger card is similar to the illustrated card 40. It will be seen from the forei going that safety opening 13 0f card 10, safety opening 33 of card 30 and safety opening of the ledger index cards reglster and form a continuous groove when these guide grooves of these cards engage the guide member 46. Each beveled edge of the cards of half of the major indices register while the remaining half of the major indices and their accompanying cards are cut on the right so as to form an additional check on misiiling the cards of the first half among those of the second half, as obviously the uncut corner of the second half of cards would show among the beveled edges of the rst half of the cards. The safety opening 46, of card 40, registers with safety opening 36 of the minor index, as will the opening of any other ledger card which belongs behind the minor index card. Thus in Fig. 2, all the ledger cards have the numeral 3 punched out so that when card 30 is the front card and all the" cards are in their proper place, the numeral 3 on the scale of its next minor index will be visible, whereas, if the wrong card has been inserted between cards 19 and 20, the numeral 3 on the next minor index card will not be visible; hence, the

system will disclose the incorrect filing of a card in any minor index. As the relative position of each safety notch of a minor index is the same, provision must be made for indicating the incorrect lingof a card in an incorrect major division; hence, I have provided all the cards belonging to each major index with a notch as 13. If the cards are correctly filed, then all the notches of the cards, comprising the major division register, and the numeral of the next major index card shows at the end of the groove formed by the notches 'at the left hand up er edge of the cards comprising the major ivision; hence, if a card is filed in the wrong major division, the numeral dex card is blocked.

The guide member g plained, engages the uide notches at the lower edges of the cardys and keeps the cards in alinement. This member has also an additional function: when the ledger cards are posted, it is desirable that such cards be capable of being easily found. To provide for this, I turn the posted card around, las

46, as already exof the next major iiishown in Fig. 5, so that instead of the notch 34 engaging the guide member 48, the straight edge of the card engages it and is thereby inclined at an angle. The inclined cards may then be readil discovered at the close of the day for tabu ation or entry into a sales book.

The beveled edges above referred to, form an additional check to the misling of a. card. In' order to provide further safeguards, the first quarter of the cards may be colored buff, the second quarter pink, the third, blue, and the fourth, white. It'will be noted that the beveled edges and the multi-colored cards may be dispensed lwith as the notches above described will provide the requisite safety.

When I speak of cards, I mean also to include leaves of a book.

Various modifications may be made in the details, and the invention may be applied to various loose leaf systems, without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A safety index system com rising a plurality of elements provided with guide notches divided into major and minor groups, the major oups being provided with beveled edges, t e beveled edges of one portion of the major groups beingl normally so located that the mistiling of an element in the wrong portion is disclosed, lsubstantially as describe 2. A safetyv index system com rising` a. plurality of elements provided with guide notches groups, the major grou s bein rovided with beveled edges, the bsveled e ggs of one portion of the major groups being normally so located that the misfiling of an element in the wrong portion is disclosed, the elements of a major group having notches which register with each other and the elements comprising a minor grou having notches which register with each ot er.

3. safety index System comprisingv a plurality of cards 'provided with guide notches adapted to engage a guidev member and divided tinto major and minor grou s, ledger cards for said major groups dividd into minor groups by the minor index cards, the cards comprisin the major groups having biased corners, t e biased corners of one portion of the cards comprising the major groups being normally so located that the mlsfiling of an element in the wrong portion is disclosed, the cards comprisin a major group having notches which reglster with each other and the cards comprising a minor group having notches which register with each other.

4. An element for a loose leaf` system as described, having4 a `plurality of notches and a beveled corner whereby the location of the divided into major and minor card is determined, substantially as and for described, having a plurality of notches the purpose. described. p whereby its locatlon is predetermined and a 5. `An element for a loose leaf system as` guide notch substantially as and for the purv10 described, having a plurality of notches, a pose described. 5 beveled 'corner and a guide notch substan- In testlmony whereof I have hereunto set tially as and for the purpose described. mv hand.

6. An element for a loose leaf system as WILLIAM A. RINGLER. 

